Billy Elliot The Musical- Page 6

[teth]

Posted: 7/25/05 at 9:51pm

That's a cool pic above!

Billy Elliots.

[_clairey_]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 5:41am

I might be missing something....
But who is the boy to the left of that recent picture? :S

[J L Fan]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 5:59am

Thanks to westendpro for putting up the picture. The picture is of Jamie Bell Standing with James lomas and Ashley Lloyed who plays Michael.In the top right you can just see Lee Hall who wrote the book and the Musical. He is a really nice guy.

[J L Fan]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 3:42pm

Yes Ashley Lloyed is taller, James is stood on the step!

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 3:43pm

Wow...am I the only one who frequently reads this thread that doesn't have a Billy avatar? Oy.

[teth]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 4:49pm

I don't either.

[WestEndPro]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 6:24pm

George Maguire, (14), used to stun everyone with his dancing when he was younger. Rythm was something he had naturally in him, and when his mum and dad bought him his first drum set at the age of six, things started to take shape (dad is a good drummer). Imagine having a six year old kid banging away on the drums, but the Maguire family was ready to take that trial - as long as George kept his banging in their soundproof room.



George, who lives in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, has a family consisting of mum Dawn (aerobics instructor), dad Glenn (runs a decorating business), and his friends. A student from Gable Hall School, Corringham, he was surprised at the turns his life would take.

Music has been always been part of George's life. He say's he owes it to his uncle, drummer in Doctor and the Medics (Spirit in the Sky).

Mr. and Mrs. Maguire felt they wanted to let their son try out everything there was to try out in the world, and so George tried karate (but since George is not the kind of person to stay quiet for long - never ever quiet, in fact, always the wise guy, and always guesturing, it wasn't for him). He really tried everything: golf, gymnastics, horse riding, skateboarding, swimming, and trampolining (practicing 4 times a week), something that gave him the opportunity to travel the country to compete for is schools, Giffords Junior, Gable Hall High, and Twisters Trampoline Club.

Then he started to sing. He was 11 when he came to a singing teacher. This gave him the opportunity to do some charity shows. Are you tired yet? Not George. He wanted more. He wanted to act, so he joined Colin’s Performing Arts agency "so I could be in adverts and stuff". Other students from CPA now with Billy Elliot are Dean Chapman and Drew Huntsman (small boy and tall boy), Christie Halsey, Connie Hook, Alice and Katie Stephen (ballet girls).

George auditioned for Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang. Didn't get it! He auditioned for Les Misérables. Didn't get it!

When he finally got the part of Billy his mum broke down crying. She couldn't even speak.

A year before he auditioned for Billy, he started to go to a dance school (the only boy in a class of some 20 girls, so he was bit intimidated), after som nagging from his mother. He only started dancing properly when he got his private lessons during his time at the Billy Elliot Academy a few months before rehearsals began.

Ballet wasn't for George, though, and still isn't, but he has every respect for those who do it. He doesn't hate it anymore though, as he did when Peter Darling (the choreographer) at first told him he had to do ballet, but is happy with his modern dancing. "I'm a normal Essex boy!" Actully, he does think it is kind of fun.

His other love in life is football, which he plays with his friends, but pretty much gave up, together with his other sports, when moving to London. At the moment, he receives tuition at the luxurious Billy Elliot House where he is boarding when performing.

George is very social, and so his friends are very important to him. He has a very mischievous, humble, and charismatic personality and has a tendency to attract people. He is the kind of guy who takes his male friends and teach them pirouettes on the playground.

Some links:

The Doctor and the Medics
http://www.doctorandthemedics.com/

Colin's Performing Arts
http://www.colinsperformingarts.co.uk
Updated On: 8/8/05 at 06:24 PM

[WestEndPro]

Posted: 7/26/05 at 7:09pm

I suppose you all have, to the point of your ears bleeding, listened to your very own copy of Elton John's reissued Peachtree Road album (released August 2, 2005, in the US, but you can order it from Europe), which features three songs from Billy Elliot:

# The Letter (which in the show is in two parts and known in the script as Dear Billy (Mum's Letter & Billy's Reply)
# Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher
# Electricity

(Available in three formats: CD, CD+DVD, vinyl)

Now, you probably have a lot of comments, and it would be nice to hear some of them! Please?

Billy and Mrs Wilkinson singing the letter:

"And I'll have missed you laugh
Missed your stamping and your shouting
I have missed telling you off
But please, Billy, know that I was always there."


amazon.co.uk Updated On: 7/26/05 at 07:09 PM

[_clairey_]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 5:53am

Thank you so much for all the great information!!!
I think its amazing how George can have progressed so far with his dancing in such a short period of time! Do you think he struggles any more than the other boys do?
You seem to have a soft spot for all the Billies, but do you have a favourite??!!

Updated On: 7/27/05 at 05:53 AM

[_clairey_]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 6:34am

I love this staging in the show, where the miners are facing Billy and their lights cast a silhouette.
When the miners lift starts to move down and the mechanism clunks and locks into place, the noise seems to vibrate right through your body...and its just great!










Updated On: 7/27/05 at 06:34 AM

[BillyFan2]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 6:34am

A lot of people have commented (elsewhere) that the only real weakness in Billy Elliot the Musical are Elton Johns songs. For the most part I heartily disagree. Whereas in most musicals, the story seems to be a poor link to big, hit songs, in Billy Elliot they are there to tell a part of the story. Some critics say that you will go and see Billy and not remember a song afterwards. Quite the opposite for me, for weeks now I've been humming/singing tunes and then realised they are from Billy Elliot.

As to these three songs:

The Letter - I honestly prefer the Cast song rather than Elton singing it. Why? Well, to be honest, the first few lines of the song don't work well when Elton performs it. In the musical, some of the lines are said rather than sang, and the song fluctuates between Billy, Mrs Wilkinson and Billy's Mum. The context of the song is heartbreaking and frequent sniffles and blowing of noses will be heard throughout the auditorium. You don't quite get the raw emotion when Elton does it.

Merry Xmas Maggie Thatcher - 20 Years ago, this would have been a Christmas number one. A funny, if irreverant, song that you could have quite easily imagined the "Spitting Image" team performing in the late 80's. Works well when the cast do it and works well with Elton doing it. Shame about the change at the end when Elton does it but understandable.

Electricity - Again, to me, this works better when Billy sings it. The song suits the higher range and again a lot of the emotion is lost when Elton sings it. The video that accompanies the song is superb and anyone who hasn't had a chance to catch Liam Mower playing Billy should take a look (like you haven't already :)).

[_clairey_]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 6:43am

I completely agree!
The songs are fab and seem to have stuck in my head extremely well - very catchy!
I also agree that it is better with Billy singing Electricity than with Elton. Particularly with Liam Mower, there is a certain innocence about his voice that makes you warm to him, and he seems so sweet

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 2:10pm

WestEndPro- What if you want to send a letter to...say Liam, and you're from the states? How should you address it?

[PoserPresident]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 2:22pm

Is it just me or does the video diary of George Maguire on the billy elliot musical always seem to freeze at a certain point? any help?

[J L Fan]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 3:20pm

Both George and James have only been dacing for about 6 to 9 months before they auditioned for Billy Elliot, but both being incredibly talented lads picked it up very quickly. All the kids short listed for Billy had lots of lessons before final casting. After casting the lads have had to train day after day and help set the dances. It has been extreamly hard work for them. They are amazingly fit with lots of stamina. A credit to their passion for the role.

[WestEndPro]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 6:27pm

When writing to, say, Liam Mower, use this address:

Liam Mower
c/o Victoria Palace Theatre
Victoria Street
SW1E 5EA London
United Kingdom

But Matthew3 is right. The mail is monitored for security and unsuitable mail is removed. Don't send anything edible, offensive, or alike. Other than that, the mail is not censored.

Also, concerning how quickly George has learned to dance (esp. ballet), James learned fairly quickly as well, as J L Fan said, and Liam was not the polished dancer he has become since he was first accepted to the Billy Elliot Academy and, later, the dance workshops here in London. What the casting really is looking for in boys auditioning for Billy, is not necessarily a ready dancer who knows everything (even though they are welcome too), but boys with potential, boys who are extremely intelligent, talented, and quick learners. And both James and George fit that description well.

Does George have to work harder than the other boys? No, I don't think so. Dancing, acting and music seems to come natural to him, and if it is physically possible, he'll master any move with some practice.

So, what's it like working with Elton John on a show? Read this insightful article from the New York Post by Michael Riedel Updated On: 7/29/05 at 06:27 PM

[_clairey_]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 10:56am

These are my two favourite parts in the show!
Billy's tap routine is absolutely brilliant - just wondering how long it took to learn? He definitely looks shattered after it. It is pretty impressive
I also love the solidarity number, with the different groups of people in conflict; police men, miners and dancers.
(i do also love Liam's electricity and swan lake as his ballet is just fab)

I know that there are 3 different groups of ballet girls - do they always remain in those groups? And do the same group of girls always dance with the same Billy?
Updated On: 7/28/05 at 10:56 AM

[BillyFan2]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 11:37am

My two favorite sections are different depending on who is playing Billy.

With Liam playing Billy my two favorite parts are the Swan Lake dream sequence and Electriciy. Both of these show off his amazing ballet. Express Yourself is also great.

With George, my favorites are the Frustration number and the Swan Lake sequence. I'm not so keen on Electricity as a number as the ballet sequences are replaced and it doesn't work quite as well. He does do an amazing backflip off a board at the end though.

I haven't had chance to see James yet so can't say for him.

[edit]Billy Elliot is an amazing experience whoever is playing the lead. As far as I can tell, and due to the wide variety required by the role, each have their strengths and weaknesses. The simple fact is, these boys can act, sing, dance ballet and tap plus do a fair amount of gymnastics. That's no mean feat.

Updated On: 7/28/05 at 11:37 AM

[WestEndPro]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 7:38pm

At the Billy Elliot School (aka the Billy Elliot Academy, aka Billy's Summer School) the boys were well taught. They received instruction in just about everything pertaining to the world of musical entertainment. The education they got there is the envy of all other musical productions here. They worked with some of the most talented people in the country and were taught everything from dancing to acrobatics and singing (not to mention talking with a Geordie dialect, which is no small feat either). They received privat tuition, and were suggested extra curriculum activities to improve their skills. Add to this the fact that the boys all are, as stated before, very talented, very intelligent, and extremely quickly learners. They also have great stamina and work hard. Hence, even the boys who were not picked for the production could easily be handed over to hungry casting agents looking for well-educated children for other things within the entertainment industry.

Clemency Carlisle, who is the School Administrator, must have been having a hard and good time having the children moulded properly, and I'm sure the Administrator and the teachers are well aware of their importance to the show and to the development of the children entrusted to them.


Updated On: 7/29/05 at 07:38 PM

[BillyFan2]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 2:34am

The thought, care and sheer size of this undertaking has amazed me. To trawl round the country auditioning thousands of kids is a large enough undertaking, but to then look at what they had and say "you know, we can't expect these kids to have everything. Let's find a number of kids with the right untempered skills and set up a school to enhance those they have and teach them those they don't as yet". That takes a special skill and a special care that you don't often see.

The results speak for themselves and I guess we can only hope that "Billy Elliot" runs and runs to allow more kids to enjoy the benefits of "Billy School" even if we don't then see them on the stage. It must be truly heartbreaking though, for the ones who get so far and put so much effort in, to then not quite make the final step.

[WestEndPro]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 1:52pm

Just a quick question:

What are your wishes when it comes to the perfect cast recording of Billy Elliot - the Musical?



Updated On: 7/29/05 at 01:52 PM

[musicnmath]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 1:56pm

all three billys (and michaels, etc) singing everything :) It could be 3-in-1 album.

sorry, that's not to helpful, is it?

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 1:58pm

I don't think I can pick one over the other, they are all brilliant ! My only wish regarding the cast recording is, RELEASE IT ALREADY, can't you see we are dying here ????

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 2:04pm

I would really like it if Liam and Michael sing on the cast recording.

[jczelyph]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 2:05pm

Yeah, release it already!

Other than that, I'd like three versions released for the different sets of children. I doubt that will happen. So I want the Billy with the best voice to sing all of it. I saw Liam who was good but I don't know a lot about the singing of the other two (although I gather it's not as good...hmmmm....).

And as full a recording as possible, but without loads of dialogue tacked on to the beginning or end of the songs.